Container for fused-bifocal-lens blanks



W. C. GAMBLE CONTAINER FOR FUSED BIFOCAL LENS BLANKS Nov. 20, 1928. 1,691,925

Filed Jan. 27, 1925 A TTORNE Y.

' Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

Unirse sraras WILLIAM C. G-AMBLE, OFI NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL INC., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.V

. realeza Parana* oisrules,

OPTICAL ooMrANY,

CONTAINER non rusnnrrocAL/Lcsns BLANES.

Application filed Y.l'anuary 27, 1925. Serial No, 5,010

Fused bifocal lenses are composed of tvvo` kinds of glass of different indices of refracf. tion, a relatively small button or segment ofV flint glass commonly being fused into a de- 5 pression or countersink in a major piece ofv crown glass to constitute the reading or near field. The rough blanks are made by forming a major blankof the crovvn glass and grind-v ing and polishing the depression or counterl0 sink in its convex face if it be of periscopic form, preparing a flint glass button by grinding and polishing one face to fit into the depression or countersink and then subjecting the tivo pieces of glass to heat until they bel5 come fused together. Sometimesthe-manufacturer sells these rough blanks to thetrade in that form and the dispensing opticianor refractionist attends to having it ground down andV finishedr to the proper surface 2U curvatures. y Sometimes the manufacturer` finishes the blank onthe bifocal side and sells it to the trade in that form, the optician hav ing then only to finish Vthe opposite side of the blank according to the :prescription and out 25 and edge the product to make the finished lens. Such a blank is known as a semi-finished blank. Sometimes, Valthough to a lesser vex,- tent, the manufacturer is called upon to finish both sides of the blank, leaving it only, to the opticianto attend tohaving the lens `cutand edged. Such uncut but surfacedlenses have, of course, the same diametral dimensions as the rough blank and as the semi-finished blank. In applying theterm blank herein, both in the specification and claims, I therefore desire to have it understoodv that I comprehend any oneof the three forms above referred to Which precede thecutting and edging of the finished lens, namely, the rough blank, the

reason or another, and the most usual causey for a defect in this particular is the 'entrapsemi-finishedV blank, and. the fully surfaced ping of. gas during the fusing operation,` y

Which causes bubbles in the contact surface.. These bubbles linterfere with the transmission `of light and if they are sufficiently large f or numerous, they render the blank vvorthless. Frequently, also, the flint button" or segment is improperly placed, dueveither to a slipping ofthe button While fusing, or to an incorrect location of therbutton in the countersink before the blank is placed in the fusing oven,` rlfhe blank must, therefore, be inspected as tothe disposition of the seg-y ment. Ihe optician Will alsowant tomeasure the diameter of the segment, particularly in the semi-finished blank or in the surfaced Abut unc-ut lens, for it will be understood that if. the bifocalsurface is finished down too far, the segment Will becometoo small. y y

These blanks have heretofore been lsold in individual one-piece Wrappers VWhich',4 are small folded cardboard boxes or cartons, glued along one side and having theirends closed by flaps. These cartons collapse to a flat condition When they'are empty andthe ends are open. The blank is Wrapped in soft paper before being'place'd in the carton; In l ordervto inspect a` blank'shipped in sucha container, it is necessaryr for the optician te blank and thepaper in which it is Wrapped, remove the paper and thenlhandle the blank itself during the examination. Under suchy circumstances the finished surfaces are liable ,open one end ofA the box and takeout Vthe to become scratched during the inspection.

Furthermore a dealerl when hev receivesv a quantity of blanks usually inspectsthem all in order to be able to replace atonce any which are defective and he is required, therefore, vnot only to take the 'blanks outof the boxesbut to put them back again 'after the inspection. u n

1 The purposev ofy my invention is to 'provide a box or carton' for such 'blanks which will facilitate the examination,ory inspect-ion of the blanks, and Whichv will maker` it unnecesi sary for the blanks to be handled or removed vmo from their boxes or containers during the examination. In accordance with my invention, I accomplish this by providing a shallow, open-top boxY of just the right size to take the blank With a snug fit, and I provide' i -in the bottom. ofthis box a hole with Which the segment of the blankvvill register so that the Contact surface maybe examined by transmitted light Withoutv removing the depth of the notches being such that the rule.

will not touch the finished surface ofthe blank. `A sliding `cover is-provided for the box, and for the purpose'of examination', it

is only necessary to pull thecoverback far enough Ato ,exposey the segment. y'l?"referably thefcovery is tubular inv form and'surrounds the box, lthus covering the hole in' thebottom ofthe box as wellies the open top of the box. 'lzlheblank fits so tightly inthe box that there is no likelihood ,of 'its falling out'during the examination. There is no occasion, thereforefto touch the blank with the hands or with-anyy instrumentv during an inspection;

"Iii the drawing I have illustrated one way in whichmy invention may be embodied, Figure l being aplan ofthe container* opento inspection position, the cover being vshown partiallyin section, and Figure 2 ybeing a eentr'alsection of thel same `with the cover in closed position.

' The blank l is shown as round which is the` shape in which they arejmost commonly made, and thebox'is 'substantially square, the fblank: ft-'ting into it tightly. The "box may beimadeY of paper, wood, or other suitble material. thereis provided :the segment-examination hole'., `which `is somewhatl larger than' the c ,segment 'f'the blank, the diameter being preferably about one-halfthe length Offwthe side ofthe box.VKL This hole 3 is near the sidef of .the boxanld since fthe, segment isnfear one edge of the blankpthe segmentfwill register with the hole 3 when the blank is 'placed in the boxfwith thesegment vadjacent the side 5. Because ofthe tight iit'of the blank inA the box it will stay in 'thisposition when once it vis 'lacedthere l o facilitate the measurement of the segment4, notches 6 are'provided in the `sides 7 les Vand Shofv Athe box andthe bottoms' ofthese notches are substantially Ain line withthe 'cenplaced in these notches will, therefore, coincide with ,aj dialnet-ral line ofthe segment. The center of the segmentV is somewhat below or outside ofthe-center of the examination hole 3, as a result of which all exoept'the very outside Vportion of the segment may beY freely inspected under transmitte'dlightl *In thecutting out of the finished lens, this lower part of the segment is cutaway and hence its examination is unimportant. 'llhe blank which is shownin the drawings isla semifinished blank, the bifocal surface being'iin- Vished to its inal form. The height of the sides of the box is so proportioned that the In the bottom '2 ofthe boxv expressed lntheappended claims. h ter of the segment. AA millimeter rulewhen Y bottom of the notches 6 is above the surface of the blank, with the result that the millimeter rule will not touch the surface of the blank.

The cover 9 of the box slides toward and from ,the yside 5 so that it be pulled back just far enough to uncover the segment and the;examination` yopening in thel bottom of the box andthereby permit an inspection of the lens without-entirely removing the cover from the box, this examination position being the v'one showninfFigure l. vThe coveris preferably tubular in forni as sl'iownin'the drawingssoas to completely 'surround the box andthereby cover-up theopening 3`in the bottom of thel box, as well as 'toc'over the-top ofthefbox.v lThis coverfits over the box with suicient snugness that it will befrictionally retained in lanyi'po'sition, such as shown in Fig; 1 andinlligfQ," It will beVr understood that in order to examine" a blank inthe box, it ison'lyv necessary to push t-he box out from the cover until'it occupies substantially the-position shown in Figure l, whenthesegment'mayibe rplaced over a souree` of l1ght"wh1'ch will shineand anydefectstherein may-be readily obv`- served. If the Contact surface is found-Sto be all right, the opticianwill then place' a millimeter rule in thenotch'e's 6 andl observe the diameter vof thesegment. "The examination isthen complete and he= has onlyv to push the boxI 'into theicovert'ofits closed position, the inspection being'thusperformed without removal of the blank from` the box or lian- .dling of the blank in anyway. :Thus the container at all ,times forms Ya holder for the lens blank by which ther lenslblank may be handled without touchingitiand which i-'tfi's 'at all times protected'againstinjury.

f It is 4'obvious' that 4vvarious `modifications may b`e made inY thef'details andarra'ngement ofparts herein described `'and illustratedfo'r thepurposeof explaining the nature of the inventiorn'by thosef'skilled inthe art within theY principle and sfc'ope'of the"`inventio'n"a's I claim:

ldThe combination a shallow, substanlli() tially:squareyopen-top box havinglin itsbotf tomand near onej side a circular light-'transmitting blank-inspecting holethe diameter of vcompletely't-hereover 'a direction Ynormal to l the side of the b Knee-which .the said' H01@ is disposed.

2. The combination of a shallow, substantially square, Open-top box having in its bottom and near one side a hole the diameter of which is approximately half the length of a side of the box, a fused bifocal lens blank fitting snugl)7 in the box, and having a segment somewhat smaller than the said hole With its center outside that of the hole, the tivo sides of the boi; which are equidistant to the hole being notched on a transverse Aline substantially coinciding with the center of the segment when the segment is over the hole and the bottom of the notches being in a line above the upper surface of the blank, anda sliding cover for the box slidable thereover in a direction normal to the sido of the bor: near which the said hole is disposed.

3. A container comprising a tubular frame member adapted to surround and support a single lens blank and having notches on opposite sides thereof adapted to the insertion of a scale, the bottoms thereotbeing above the lens surface at the line thereof, a bot-tom member attached thereto at one side thereof for the further support of the lens blank, means comprising an opening therein smaller than an average finger diameter, for the viewing and illumination of the blank While providing protection therefor, and means for the further protection thereof comprising a sleeve member adapted to cover the top, bottom and sides thereof.

el. An article of manufacture comprising a lens blank, and means V'for protecting and holding the lens blank comprising a frame part diametrically surrounding and frictionally gripping the lens blank, a blank-support-` ing bottom fixed to said frame part and provided With a light-transmitting blank-inspecting aperture, and a protecting cover sleeve frictionally slidable on the frame part and its bottom to close the top of the fra-me part and the aperture in thebottoiiji. Y

5. The invention ldefined in claim 4, in which the said frame partis of sutlicient depth that its top edges extend above the lens blank and in which such edges at the opposite sides ofy the said bottom aperture are each provided with a notch With the bottoms of these notches in a line above the upper surface of the lens blank for receiving a scale Without the latter coming into contact With the lens blank.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

WLLIAM C. GAMBLE. 

